Russian police detained several opposition leaders, including Alexei Navalny and Sergei Udaltsov, during a protest held in Moscow Saturday against the latest wave of arrests of political activists.

Russia on Friday charged protest leader Sergei Udaltsov with plotting mass riots in a controversial probe that has also seen the detention of an activist who claims he was tortured into making a confession.

Film-maker Jafar Panahi and rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh of Iran have won the European Parliament's Sakharov rights prize, lawmakers said in a series of tweeted messages Friday.

Film-maker Jafar Panahi and rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh of Iran have won the European Parliament's Sakharov rights prize, lawmakers said in a series of tweeted messages Friday.

Russian protest leader Sergei Udaltsov arrived Friday for questioning and was expected to be charged in a probe into televised allegations that he was plotting riots against President Vladimir Putin.

The Syrian rebels battling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad have shoulder-launched missile systems,including Stingers made by the United States, Russia's top general said on Wednesday.

Rosneft on Monday ceded a fifth of its shares to BP in a $61 billion game-changing deal that will let Rosneft pump half as much oil as Saudi Arabia and make BP a long-term partner of the Russian state.

Rosneft gobbled up BP's highly-profitable Russian joint venture, transforming itself into a top player in the global oil sector in a $61 billion (47 billion euro) deal on Monday that gives the BP nearly a fifth of the Russian energy giant and ensures access to key Arctic resources.

British oil firm BP said Monday that it has agreed to sell its half of Russian venture TNK-BP to Rosneft for $17.1 billion (13.1 billion euros) and another 12.84 percent share in the state energy giant.

BP said on Monday it was in "advanced" talks to sell its profitable 50-percent stake in Russian joint venture TNK-BP to state giant Rosneft in a deal reportedly worth about $27 billion (20.7 billion euros).

BP said on Monday it was in "advanced" talks to sell its profitable 50-percent stake in Russian joint venture TNK-BP to state giant Rosneft in a deal reportedly worth about $27 billion (20.7 billion euros).

BP said on Monday it was in "advanced" talks to sell its profitable 50-percent stake in Russian joint venture TNK-BP to state giant Rosneft in a deal reportedly worth about $27 billion (20.7 billion euros).

British oil company BP said on Monday it is in "advanced discussions" on selling its 50-percent stake in the troubled Russian joint venture TNK-BP to the main Russian oil producer Rosneft in a cash and shares deal reportedly worth around $27 billion.

BP said on Monday it is in "advanced discussions" on selling its 50-percent stake in the troubled Russian joint venture TNK-BP to the main Russian oil producer Rosneft.

Russian troops on Sunday reported killing 49 militants in a massive security sweep that followed angry comments from President Vladimir Putin about raging violence in the troubled North Caucasus.

Russian troops reported killing 49 militants in a massive security sweep that followed angry comments from President Vladimir Putin about raging violence in the troubled North Caucasus.

Russian troops on Sunday reported killing 49 militants in a massive security sweep that followed angry comments from President Vladimir Putin about raging violence in the troubled North Caucasus.

Russia's opposition went online Saturday to vote for new leaders to spearhead the drive against Vladimir Putin and regain the momentum lost since his thumping return to the presidency in May.

A new US-Russia pact comes into force next month to strengthen adoption safeguards after several cases of abuse of Russian children by their adoptive American families sparked an outcry.

Russia placed a leader of mass protest rallies against President Vladimir Putin under a travel ban on Wednesday after questioning him in a criminal probe into allegations he was plotting a violent uprising.